Of los aetgeles



J. THEEMLING.

BGTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.30, 1918.

Patented lan. 6, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. THEEMLING.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED 050.30, 191B.

1,327,575. Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

' 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

i., F. 70 7? 66 9' Z 72 69 66 67 i Y 70 e '1. THEEMLING.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPUoAnqN FILED Dec. 30. 191s.

Patented Jan.`6,1920.

J. THEEMLNG.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED Dsc. 30, |918.

Patented J al1. 6, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

J. THEEMLING.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLxcATxoN FILED DEc.3o,191.

Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Fig. 9

nnrrnn STATE renna? Y* JAKoB THEEMLING, er Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

freezers.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 6, 1920.

Application filed December 30, 1918. Serial No. 268,889.

an annular channel and a statonthere being Y abntnients in said channel movable tol and from cach other.

The principal objects of this invention are First, to provide a rotary engine requiring no valves; second, to provide an engine having positively actuated parts; third, to proride an engine which may have a plurality oif motive chambers all embodied in a single channel; and fourth, to provide an engine with a movable abutment oi'l a novel construction.

rlfliis invention is particularly adapted for embodiment in an internal combustion engine, and in such specic form, the Vobjects are rst, to provide an engine with separate compression and motive chambers; and secnd, to provide an enginewhich may'have chambers so that one or more impulses are imparted to therotor during a single revolu-l tion. l L;

ln addition tothe broader features of this invention, it is an objectthereot' to "provide .-i. compact engine combining high capacity, and economy of operation, with great eatiency and power, and having no delicate or intricate mechanism. y Y' 'An embodiment of my invention is.illustra-ted in the accompanying drawings,.in

l is a :face view of the ,engineL sanenlarged section taken on the.

2 ol Figi, the right hand half showthe section through the equalizing pisf section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 8 is an enlarged section taken on the line 8--8 of Fig. l. Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the piston illustrated in Fig. 8, showing the details of the packing. Fig. l0 is an enlarged section taken on the line lO-lO of Fig. 9; and Fig. l1 is an enlarged section taken on the line ll-ll oic Fig. 9. Fig. l2 is a fragment of a follower ring.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, `the shaft of the engine is indicated by l2 and keyed thereon is the rotor. rThe ro- `tor has a spider 13, to the arms oi which is Secured a ring having piston chambers formed therein. The ring is formed of tWo castings lll and 15 held together by bolts 16 extending through internal lflanges. The ring is constructed so that open ways are formed rointhe inner side to the periphery to allow for bolting the halves together, tor the passage of exhaust gas and for the circulation of air. As shown herein, the engine has twin. sets of piston and Compression chambers, one on eachiiace of the rotor copeinting` with a set ot paris on the stator. As these sets of chambers are duplica-tes, only one set will be described in detail. @n tl e side face of the rotor adjacent the periphery is an annular compres* sion chamber l?, which is seini-circularv in radial section. A motive or firing channel 1S, circular in section, is formed on the face of the rotor. vvpaced 1200 apart within the compression channel are stationary abutments 19, 19 and 19, all hereafter referred to generally as abut-ments 19. Flaced within the motive channel 1S are three abutments 9.0, 20" and 20, all hereafter referred to generally as a'butinents 20. les t1 set ne abutments i9 and 20 are similar only one will be described. lt will be noted, however, that the abutineiits 20 are slightly in advance of the abutmentslf), the direction of rotation of 1die rotor being indicated by the arrow A ,in Fig. y Vllelerring to Figs. 2, 3, l and 7, each ment is a block iitted into its channel, and in cooperation with the yielding abutments ldivides the channels Vinto separate chambers. Referring particnlarly to Figs. 3 and i, the abutinents have faces 23 and sloping i'roin the bottoni of the channel to the top having avrounded raceway 'for passage oi the heads of the yielding pistons. lt the it rested in the bottom of the channel, or at the top of the abutment, thereby permitting y leakage. Mounted in the abutment at the' top thereof is a packing -strip 25,' to maintain a gas tight lit and take careof eXpansion and contraction. ing strip is indicated by 91 and the leaf spring holding it in outer position by 92. The abutinents 19 and 20 are heldin position by means of bolts, as indicated by 26 in Figs. 2 and 4. Between the channels 17 and 18 ron the face of the ring is a flat surface having annular packing rings 27 land 28 placed adjacent the channels. Pairs of transverse packing strips arer disposed on the flat face, each pair being v120o apart, providing means which prevents travel of gases around the rotor between the rotor and the inner wall of` the stator. Leading from the channel 18 at the abutments are intake passages 30. These passages lead to elongated port openings, in the face of the roter separately indicated by 31, 31 and 31". Each port opening is located between a pair of transverse packing strips. Equalicing ports 32 as shown in Fig. 7 connect the port openings `on opposite faces of the rotor. In the iring channel 18 forward of the abut-ments 2O are exhaust ports 33, 33 and 33. These open to the interior hollow space of the rotor ring, the exhaust passing thereinto as illustratedV by the arrows e in Fig. 6. Near the inner and outer edges of the rotor Vface are annular packing rings 34 vand 35.

The stator is aV casting formed of two halves bolted together to form a l1ousing-v36 for the rotor, and is provided with arms 37 which have bearings 38 for the shaft I9. Formed on the housing are heat radiating ins 39. Mounted on the inner wall of each half of the stator are follower rings 21 and 22 having rounded transverse sections and fitting within the rounded raceway at the top of the abutments 19 and 20. The follower rings may be made i-n sections extending from piston to piston, having a rib at the center and being provided with stems 40. As the follower rings are similar only one will be described. yStems 40 extend through openings in the stator and have threaded ends upon which nutsv 41 are mounted. Between washers on each stem are springs 42 tending to hold the follower ring against the face of the stator.

Mounted on the stator and registering with 'the firing channel 17 are yieldii'iglabutment pistons. Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 4, cylindersp43 are secured to afinishing pad on vthe stator and Ihave a In Fig. 2 the pack-l Holding the liner sections in position is a ring nut 48, which is threaded into the cylinder and bears upon'the top of the liner sections. Slidinglymounted within the liner is a yielding piston 49 having av hemlsphericall head, which rides in the channel 18. The rounded end is `packed by a snapV ring 5()Y extending transverse to the channel. This provides for a tight lit on the abutment in the, channel. To provide for a tight it within the liner snap rings 51 Yare mounted upon the piston. Referring particularly to Figs-9, 10 and`11, the rounded head of piston 7.3,*which is packed similar to piston 49`is slotted as indicated by 52. Disposed in the slot 52 is 1 -carrier plate 53 havinga bore 54 disposed leccentric thereto. Mounted on the periphery of the plate 53 is tlievsnap ring 50,. The overall diameter of the snap. ring is substantially that of the rounded head of the piston, but the ring is expandedlsuflicient to make a tight fit with the channel. In the piston and transverse thereto is a bore 55 for registration with the bore 54, and extending through bores 54 and 55 is a pin securing the carrier plate to theupiston, thus7 allowing a'swinging movement to accommodate the packing to the channel. Referring again to piston 49, the upper end of thepiston is reduced in diameter as indicated by 55, and an enlargement 560i' the piston slides in the ring nut 48., This constructiony provides for an air space 57 to form a cushion for holding the piston on the bottom of the. channel. It will be noticed that the diameter of enlarge.- nient Y56.` is .less than the diameter of the liner. under pressure through a port 58 adapted to be attached to an air tank, there will be Ya `force acting upon the lower Vshoulder of the abutment tending.V to hold the abutment in its lower position, and a force dueto the same pressure acting alpen the shoulder formed by enlargement 56 tending to force the,v abutment into its upper, position. Due to the larger area of Atheflowermshoulder, the resultant force acting. upon the abutment will beth'e difference of the two forces before mentioned vand will hold the abutment in its lower p osiln'on.v The piston rod carries a-p'in 59. Pivota'llysecuredto the pin 59 is a rocker arm S05-which is pivotally-mounted upon a'z-staiidard G1. Standard (Slis preferably fermed as a part of thev cylinder ,casting'43. Qn thefoppo'siteside of' the' standard to the cylinder and preferably cast When the space 57 is filled with air Y therewith is a cylinder 62, which opens through the foundation plate to the channel 18. Slidably mounted in the cylinder 62 is a piston 63. A connecting rod 64 secures the piston 63 to the rocker arm 60. The yielding pistons for the compression channel have cylinders 65 opening to the compression channel 17. Mounted in each cylinder is a suitably packed liner section 66 having a beveled upper face, and a liner section 67 bearing on said beveled upper face. Liner section 67 has a shoulder 68 formed at its upper face and bearing ther on is a section 69 of a smaller internal diameter than the liner sections 66 and 67. Liner section 69 is provided with an inward odset 70, from which extends a tubular portion 71 of reduced diameter. Holding the liner section in place is a ring nut 72 threaded in the cylinder 65. Slidably mounted within the sections 66 and 67 is a yielding abutment piston 73 packed in a manner similar to the yielding abutment piston 19. A stem 74E of reduced diameter provides an air cushion space 7 5 around the stem. Above the shoulder 68, the stem has an enlargement 76 which slides in section 69. The stem is reduced in diameter as indicated at 77 and rides within the tubular extension 71. Suitable packing is provided to make a tight fit. A port opening 78 communi- Cates with the cushion7 5 and is adapted for connection to a reservoir containingv air under pressure so as to provide an air cushion. The space 79 between the liner section 67 and the stem 74 provides a balance chamber which communicates through an equalizing port 80 with the compression chamber 17 and assists in holding` the yielding abutment piston against the channel with a pressure proportional. to the pressure within the channel. n

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 7, a port 81 iu the side wall of the stator is indicated. Port 81 connects with a port 82 in the foundation plate for the yielding abutment piston cylinder. This port 82 communicates with a port 83 in the wall of the stator and leads to the compression chamber. Disposed within the port 81 is abushing 811 bearing upon the face of the rotor and held against the face by a spring 85, thereby making a tight lit with the face. r here are three sets of the ports and passages just described located C apart, and each set constitutes an intake passage for the firing channel.

Referring particularly to 1 and 5, a port for the admission of gas to the compression chamber is indicated by 86 and communicates with an inlet 87. |lhere are three such ports indicated severally by 86, 86 and 86. All inlets 87 are connected to a single carbureter.

Spark plugs 88 one for each of the firing chambers are disposed forward of the yielding abutment and open to the firing channels.

Assume that the rotor is moving in the direction of the arrow A in F ig. 3, the abutment 19 arrives under the piston 73, and the latter finally reaches the top of the former. Upon the further movement of the rotor, aclo-sed space is formed between 73 and abutment 19, which space increases in volume. A charge of gas is wn through the intake port 86 until the piston 73 and abutment 19 are in registry. This action has occurred in all of the compression chambers, and assuming the engine has been opei'at`.ig, there would have been a charge of between the piston 73 and the stationary abutment 19. The charge in the space between the piston 73 and abutment 19 will be compressed by reason of the abutment 19 moving toward the piston 73 and thereby decreasingl the volume of the space. As abutment 19 approaches near the piston 7 3, the port 31 will register with compression port 82. This establishes communication between the compression chamber and the firing chamber in channel 18, the compressed charge entering the firing channel between the abutment 20 and the piston 419. After the port 31 has passed out of registration with compression port 82, the charge is fired by the spark plug creating an impulse which reacts upon the stationary abutment 20 and causes it to move away from the yielding` piston a9. rEhe exhaust port 33 finally passes under the abutment 4:9 and connects the firing chamber with the hollow space of the rotor ring and passing to the atmosphere through exhaust outlets 89, there being openings 90 in the periphery of the rotor ring as indicated in Fig. 2. rlhe path of the exhaust gases is indicated by arrows e. The burnt gases are then swept out of tue chamber by reason of thev abutment 20 approaching the piston 9. The action just described occurs in all three liring chambers and their cooperating compression chambers. lt will be noted that tiring occurs in each firing chamber three times inV one revolution. By increasing the. number of abutments and pistons the number of impulses during a sing-le revolution may be increased.

The compression piston is held in position upon the bottom of the channel by means of the air cushion formed around stem of the abutment., which holds the piston in the channel, Vtogether with the pressure which enters from the con'ipression chamber through port 80 and is therefore proportionate to the pressure within the chamber and equalizes the pressure of compression tending to force the piston out of the channel.

The yielding abutment piston in the firing chamber is held upon the bottom of the manera 7. ln a rotary internal combustion engine, the combination of a rotor having an annular compression channel and an annular firing channel; a compression abutment on said rotor dividing saidoompression'channel, a firing abutment on said rotor dividing said firing channel; a stator having a yieldable compression piston disposed in said compression channel, a yieldable firing piston on said stator disposed in said firing channel; a compression passage in said stator communicating With said compression channel at the rear of said compression piston, said compression passage opening to the face of said rotor, an intake passage in said rotor communicating with said firing channel at the rear of said firing abutment for registration with said compression passage, and an exhaust port on said rotor opening into said firing channel.

8. In a rotary internal combustion engine, the combination of a rotor having an annular compression channel andan annular firing channel; a compression abutment on said rotor dividing said compression channel, a firing channel; said fiing abutment being in advance of said compression abutment; a stator having a yieldable compression piston disposed in said compression chamber, a yieldable firing piston on said stator disposed in said firing channel, said yieldable firing piston being to the rear oi' said yieldable compression piston; a compression passage in said stator communicating With said compression channel at the rear of said compression piston, said compression passage opening to the face of said rotor, an intake passage in said rotor communicating With said firing channel at the rear of said firing abutment for registration with said compression passage, and an exhaust port on said rotor opening into said firing channel.

9. in a rotary internal combustion engine, the combination of rotor having an annular compression channel and an annular iiring channel, a compression abutment on said rotor dividing said compression channel, a i'iring` abutment on said rotor dividing said firing channel; a stator having a yieldable compression piston disposed in said compression chamber, a firing piston on said stator disposed in said tiring channel, resilient means tending to hold said compression piston in its channel With a uniform pressure, means operated by the pressure of the exploded charge tending to hold said ring piston in its channel; an yinlet port in said stator communicating With said compression channel forward of said compression piston, a compression passage in said stator communicating With said compression channel at the rear of said compression piston, said compression passage opening to the face of said rotor; an intake passage in said rotor connnunicating with said iiring channel at the rear of said firing abutment for registration With said compression passage, and an exhaust port on said rotor opening into said firing channel.

10. In a rotary internal combustion engine the combination of a rotor having an annular compression channel and an annular firing channel, a compression abutment on said rotor dividing said compression channel, a iiring abutment on sai-d rotor dividing said firing channel, said firing abutment being in advance of said compression abutment; a stator iaving a yieldable compression. piston disposed in said compression chamber, a firing piston on said stator disposed in said firing channel, said ring piston being to the rear of said compression piston, resilient means tending to hold said compression piston in its channel with a uniform pressure, means operated by the pressure of the exploded charge tending to hold said firing piston in its channel; a compression passage in said stator communicating With said compression channel at the rear of said compression piston, said coin-- pression passage opening to the face of said rotor; an intake passage in said rotor communicating with said firing channel at the rear of said firing abutment for registration with said compression passage, and an exhaust port on said rotor opening into sai-d firing channel.

1l. ln a rotary internal combustion cngine, the combination of a rotor having an annular compression channel and an annular firing channel, a compression abutment on said rotor dividing said compression channel, a firing abutment on said rotor dividing said ring channel; a stator having a yieldable compression piston disposed in said compression channel7 a firing piston on said stator slidable into said firing channel, an equalizing piston cylinder on sai-d stator opening to said firing channel in advance of said firing piston, resilient means tending to hold said i'iring piston in said channel with a uniform pressure, an equalizing piston in said cylinder, means connecting said equalizing piston and said firing piston so that pressure in said firing Chamber Will tend to hold said firing piston in its channel; an inlet port in said stator communicating With said compression channel forward of said compression piston, a compression passage in said stator communicating With said compression channel at the rear of the compression piston, said compression passage opening to the face of said rotor, an intake passage in said rotor communicating with said firing channel at the rear of said firing abutment for registration With said compression passage, and an exhaust port on said rotor opening into said firing channel.

12. In a rotary internal combustion engine,'the Combination of a rotor having an annular compression channel and an annular firing Channel, a compression abutment on said rotor dividing said compression channel, a firing abutment on said rotor dividing said firing channel, said firing abutment being in advance oi' said Compression abutment; a stator having a yieldable compression' piston disposed in said Compression channel, a firing piston on said stator slida'ble into said tiring ehann el, said iii-ing piston being to the rear of said Compression piston, resilient means tending` to hold said iring piston in said channel with auniiform pressure, an equalizing piston cylinder on said stator opening to said firing channel in adraneeoii said firing piston7 an equalizing piston in said Cylinder, means connecting said equalizing pistonand `said firing pis- VVton so that pressure in said iiring chamber Will tendto hold said firing piston in its Channel, an inlet port in said stator communicating with said compression channel forward of said Compression piston, a comf aression nassaoe in said stator eoinmunieat ing with said compression channel at the rear of the compression piston, said Compressionfpassages opening to the tace of said rotor, an intake 'passage in said rotor communieating with said firing channel at the rear of said firing abutment' for registration with said compression passage, and an eX- haust port on said rotor opening into said firing channel.

i3. In a rotary internal Combustion engine, the combination of a rotor having an annular compression channel and an annular firing Channel, a compression abutment on said rotor dividing said Compression elianneh a firing abutment on said rotor dividing said ring Channel., said iiring abutment being in advance of said Compression abutment; astator having a compression piston disposed in said compression Channel, said piston being disposed in a cylinder' provided with a balance Chamber communicating with said compression channel at the rear ont' said piston,` a :tiring piston on said stator slidable into said firing channel7 said tiring piston being to the rear of said Compression piston, resilient means tending to hold said firing piston in said channel with a uniform pressure, an equalizing piston Cylinder in said stator opening' to said ring channel in advance of said firing piston, an equalizing piston in said cylinder, vineans connecting said equalizing piston and said iring piston so that pressure in said iring chamber will tend to hold said firing piston in its Channel, an inlet port in said stator Communicating with said Compression channel forward oi' said compression piston, a compression passage in said stator communicating with said compression ehannel at the rear of the oompression piston, said compression passage opening to the 'tace ot said rotor, an intake passage in said rotor Communicating with said iii-ing Channel atV the rear of said firing abutment for registration with said Coinpression passage, and an exhaust port on said rotor opening into said iiring channel;

let. A pistony having a rounded head with a transverse slot therein, a carrier plate pivotally mounted in said slot, and a snap ring mounted on said carrier plate.

l5. A piston having a rounded head with a transverse slot therein, a circular Carrier plate eeeentricall'v and pivotally mounted in said slot, and a snap ring mounted on said carrier plate.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing` I have hereunto subscribed my name this 24th day of December, 1918.'

JAKOB 'THElh/ILING. 

